


he that’s coming/must be provided for

by cliffkiffle



Series: bear welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. [3]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Peter Pan & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Multi, also i guess peter isn't rumple's dad bc fuck that storyline amirite, i wish i knew why, not that it'll make much difference in this story because pan's motivation and focus is wendy, there is wenlix in this story, who knew? peter's even more of a shit when he's not in charge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-11 04:49:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7877203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cliffkiffle/pseuds/cliffkiffle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>oh, my lady, look how you have grown! so cold and beautiful but made of stone.<br/>my lady, will you reap what you have sown? we live and laugh and love and leave alone</p>
            </blockquote>





	he that’s coming/must be provided for

**Author's Note:**

> this is an alternate version of 3a in which wendy 'owns' neverland. as such, some lines of dialogue are from the show.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has been a long, long time since Wendy has flown.

  
**show me what you're hiding. take me out into the sea.**  
**lift me up, lift me over it.**

The tree creaks in the twilight. It’s a strong old oak, but the weight of the children perched on its limbs threatens to overwhelm it. Wendy shifts her weight, leaning closer to the trunk. Beside her, Slightly listens closely, head cocked.

“They’ve arrived — I hear them. They’re trying to use the communicator…Good luck with that,” he mutters, grinning.

Tootles grins back at him, and the pair drop to the ground. Felix follows suit, and the three of them look up. Rufio, on a branch so high that all anyone can see of him is his feet, sings out a note of birdsong: the signal for the Lost Boys to assemble.

Tootles and Slightly stride away, and Wendy hears soft footfalls of her other troops joining them. Felix remains where he is, gazing at Wendy unhappily.

“Go on, Fee,” she says. “I’ve got the easy part: fleeing my own army with a bewildered twelve-year-old. Have fun with your role.”

“I don’t like the idea of playing at being enemies.”

“It shan’t be for long  just until the truest believer trusts me. Have faith, Fee.”

“I do have faith,” he says; “in _you_.” He pulls an arrow from his quiver, ready to use, and walks away. Wendy waits, her breathing shallow, counting out the seconds until there’s a cacophony of twigs snapping and harried footsteps. Little Henry Mills passes across the forest floor below her, and she springs down to follow him. As she lands, he trips, and she steps forward, hand around his upper arm, hoisting him to his feet. Wendy pulls him behind the tree, backs pressed against the rough bark, as the Lost Boys pass them by.

“Thanks.” Henry slouches, catching his breath, and looks up at her.

“Pan’s forces know every inch of this island. If we want to evade them, we need to be careful.”

“You’re — you’re not a Lost Boy,” says Henry cautiously.

She chuckles. “Not technically. I’m Pan's favourite plaything.” The bitterness isn’t hard to fake. “But I can help you hide before he notices that I’m missing.” She grabs his hand. “We have to keep moving.”

Wincing at every noise underfoot, they set off, half-running through the trees. Wendy knows where every one of her sentries are positioned, and she’s careful to lead Henry close enough that he knows they’re being tracked, but just far enough that he believes they’re evading capture. Finally, close to the outskirts of the forest, they stop.

“I think we’ve lost them,” she breathes. Glancing at Henry, she can see he’s exhausted. “Shall we rest for a minute?”

The boy nods, and they sink down onto the ground.

“You’re new. Did the shadow take you?”

He shakes his head. “I was kidnapped by people who work for him.”

Wendy bites her lip. “He must really want you. And when Pan wants something….he gets it.”

“Why did he want you?” He asks.

Wendy thinks he’s a little too young for the exact truth — and besides, she suspects that not even Pan knew _why_ he wanted Wendy when he first took her.

“Like I said…he wanted a plaything. Recently, though, he’s not been paying much attention to me — now I realise that must be because he was making plans for your arrival. But with his attention diverted, I was able to steal this from him.” She pulls the chain around her neck out from under her clothes, showing Henry the vial: her test for him. “It’s pixie dust, but it doesn’t work.”

Henry pats her arm reassuringly. “Don’t worry. My family will be coming to rescue me. You can come home with us, if you want.” He sounds so certain, and Wendy doesn’t know if it’s sheer optimism or wilful ignorance that fuels his faith. It will be a shame to see him disappointed, in the end.

“Every Lost Boy thinks their family will come for them. None of them ever leave.”

This is not for a lack of trying on Wendy’s part, but Pan still won’t give her that power. Not even Loupe could draw it from him.

“Don’t lose hope.” Henry stands and offers Wendy a hand to help her up. “We simply have to wait. Do you know of anywhere we can hide?”

Over his shoulder, Wendy sees the pale sliver of Tootle’s face. He nods, and as Wendy squeezes Henry’s hand, she nods too.

“On the other side of the island: The Echo Caves.”

 

* * *

 

The Lost Boys have been stalking Wendy and the truest believer all across the island, but as they come into sight of the caves, they finally make their presence known. An arrow shoots past Wendy’s head, skidding against the ground.

“Hurry — we’re almost there!” Wendy tugs on Henry’s hand. But up ahead, a clutch of Boys bar their path, weapons drawn.

Henry swerves, pulling Wendy with him. “This way!” Wendy knows where this route ends, but she doesn’t correct their course. They skid to a halt at the cliff’s top.

Behind them, Felix calls to the other Lost Boys: “They went towards the cliffs!”

“What do we do?” Wendy whispers.

“Is there another way to the caves?” Henry asks urgently. His eyes are wide as he stares over his shoulder at the forbidding tree-line.

“None. We’ll have to surrender — perhaps he won’t hurt me too badly if I am penitent.” The smile Wendy offers him is piteous.

“No. We can’t give up.”

“But there is no way out,” Wendy whispers.

“There is. Don’t you have a vial of pixie dust?”

“It doesn’t work!”

He takes a few steps backwards, tugging her with him.

“You simply have to believe.”

She hands him the vial, shaking her head — but if anyone can make it work, he can.

They sprint towards the edge of the cliff as the Lost Boys burst from the forest, Wendy putting all her faith in Henry and Henry putting all of his into the contents of the vial, which spills like shimmering starlight over the pair of them as the ground falls away.

It has been a long, long time since Wendy has flown, and she’s never flown without the presence of Pan or his shadow. It’s freeing, exhilarating. She wishes that all her Lost Boys could feel it. Maybe someday soon, with the heart of the truest believer, they will.

She scans the ground below her until she finds the perfect landing spot, and they float gracelessly down, landing with a jolt, staggering upright.

“See?” Henry says, unable to restrain his grin. “Anything is possible if you believe.”

“Now I understand why Pan wants you,” Wendy says. “You possess the heart of the truest believer…a powerful thing. And with that power, Pan would be unstoppable.” She shakes her head. “He mustn’t get his hands on you. That’s why I told you to land here — to hide you.”

“Where are we?” Henry watches as she pulls branches away from the thick wall of foliage, until there’s a gap just wide enough for the pair.

“My old home.” A moss-covered hut: ancient but crafted with care. Despite its fairy-tale charm, Wendy does not like being back here. Too many painful things happened in this hut; it is the only place on the island she avoids. “Pan built it for me when I first arrived…but he soon decided that I was more suited to a cage. Didn’t want me getting ideas above my station.” She sighs. “Which is why it’s the perfect hiding place. No one comes this way anymore.”

Somewhere in the forest, a wolf howls. Henry flinches, his shoulders up around his ears.

“I’d better go, before Pan realises I’m missing,” Wendy whispers. “But I’ll come back for you — I’ll bring food.” She backs away, eager to leave the hut. “There is a bed, and a fireplace…I’m sorry I can’t offer you much else.”

“You have done more than enough,” Henry insists. “But I don’t even know your name.”

“I’m Wendy — Wendy Darling.”

“I’m Henry,” he whispers back. “And Wendy?” She pauses, her hand posted on the door, ready to shut him in. “Thank you.”

 

* * *

Henry is so trusting. It’s a weakness, really, but Wendy won’t hold it against him: it’s what will get her his heart, after all. Wendy has already picked the lie she’ll spin for him, but she suspects that any half-assed excuse that plays on his compassion would have him gladly tear his heart out himself.

As soon as she’s out of earshot of the hut, Felix appears.

“Did you see our flight? It was glorious, Fee…I can’t wait for you to experience it for yourself!” She smiles, giddy with success. “Everything’s gone perfectly.”

He frowns. “Not quite perfect, Wendy. Seems as though Henry’s family _have_ followed him here, somehow…and the Dark One is with them.”

She stops walking. “What?”

“I don’t know how they did it, but Hook’s ship is moored in the bay. I saw the Dark One myself. Both will find Pan’s absence suspicious. And what if they find his cage? What if —”

“Be quiet, Fee. Let me think. Let me solve this.”

**Author's Note:**

> summary from: youtube.com/watch?v=_ziaX03152U


End file.
